Mount or stand for machine-guns



G. NORMAN.

MOUNT 0R STAND FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 14, 1913- Patented May 11, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- -NTOR 6% [Ya-mafia. 7%

ATTQRNEY G. NORMAN.

MOUNT 0R STAND FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4. I918.

I NVE NTUR GjYm'm/aflz.

ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1920.

G. NORMAN MOUNT on STAND FOR MACHINE GUNS.

' APPLICATiON'HLED fEB- 14, ms;

Patented May 11, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- l NV E BY y ATTORNEY GEORGE NORMAN, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MOUNT on srANn roa MACHINE-GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed; February 14, 1918. Serial No. 217,070.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE NORMAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and 'Ireland, residing at the Small Arms Factory, Small Heath, Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Mounts or Stands for Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in.

mounts or stands for machine guns, and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of mount or stand which is adapted to support a machine gun in any desired position for use, in a manner which permits of its ready removal or alteration of position without the liability of upsetting same; and further, provides means whereby the gun can be readily and safely carried when hot to a fresh position for use, and is also adapted when not in use to be folded compactly alongside the gun, so that the latter with the mount or stand secured thereto can be placed in the usual box or case provided for the reception of the gun.

In order that the invention maybe clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will vat once proceed to describe one constructural form thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings which is particularly intended and adapted for use on the well known Lewis machine gun.

The invention consists of a bipod stand for supporting part of the weight of the machine gun, comprisingtwo legs detachably clamped to a yoke or pair of yoke pieces pivotally mounted on clamping pieces embracing the gun barrel or casing thereof, and foldable or adjustable relative thereto in such manner that (a) the gun can be swiveled through an appreciable angle, the gun can be rotatably adjusted in the 7 said clam-ping pieces to allow for slope of -the ground or the like, (0) the angle of elevation or depression. of the gun can be varied by turning the gun bodily about the axis through which the legs are connected to the gun, and (d) the legs can be folded .to liea'longside the gun barrel when the gun is to be carried.

The invention also consists 1n:COII1b1'Il-1I1g with the 'bipo'd stand a folding handle or pair of handles by means :of which the gun can be conveniently carried either by one man or by two men.

The invention also consists in adjusting, clamping and other devices relating to this bipod stand hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings,

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show respectively a side and front elevation, and a plan view of the mount or stand, fitted in position on the gun. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional plan taken on line A.B of Fig. 1, showing the gun turned to the limit of its sidewise or lateral movement within the yokes of the mount or stand.

Fig. 5 shows in front elevation an enlarged view of the yokes and swivel pieces.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line 0-1) of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a side and front elevation of the detached handle and the clamping nut.

Fig. 8 shows a side-and front elevation of the one side of the upper yoke piece.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Fig. 9 shows a side and front elevation of the joint lug of one of the legs or struts of the mount.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same feature or part'throughout the several figures of the drawings.

According to the invention as illustrated in the drawings, we provide a pair of yokes 1 and'2, adapted to embrace the upper and lower sides of the casing or cylinder 3 of the machine gun,.as seen in Figs. 1 to 4, the said yokes being connected together at their one side by a joint 4, and at the opposite side are provided with lugs 5 to receive a coupling pin or bolt 6. swivelly mounted within both the said upper and lower yoke pieces 1 and 2 are'semi-circular or clamping pieces 7 and 8, having on their inner diameter a circumferential groove 9 the casing or cylinder 3 of the gun.

On each side of the'upper yoke piece 1, i

and preferably disposed in a position above the center of the gun, is formed a pivot peg or stud 11, on which is swivelly mounted a leg or strut 12. The said pivot pegs 11 are upwardly inclined, so that when the two legs or struts 12 are turned to the downward position for supporting the gun, as seen in Figs. 1 to 3, they splay outward, but when raised, as shown in dotted lines, they assume a position parallel to and lie close alongside the cylinder or casing '3. On an annular face around the aforesaid pivot pegs 11 on the upper yoke piece 1, are formed radial teeth or projections 13, and on the joint, lug

14 of the leg or strut 12, are formed similar teeth or projections 15, adapted to en age with those on the yoke piece 1. The-a oresaid pivot pegs 11 on the upper yoke piece 1 are screw threaded to receive a clamping nut 16, which is provided with suitable means whereby it can be readily turned or manipulated for clamping or locking the legs in any desired position when the teeth 15 on the face of the joint lug 14 of the leg 12 engage with the recesses between the teeth 13 around the annular face at the base of the pivot peg 11 on the upper yoke piece 1, thus securely locking the leg in position, and preventing its inadvertent movement.

To the upper yoke piece 1 are jointedly attached a pair of handles to facilitate the carrying and easy transportation of the gun and its stand from one place to another.

In a preferred arrangement, as shown in the drawings, the said handles 17 are jointedly secured to pivot pegs or projections 18 formed 011 the sides of the leg joint clamping nuts 16, thus serving the dual purpose of also providing means for the ready manipulation or turning of the said clamping nuts; and further, the said handles are preferably so disposed that when brought together, as shown in the drawings, they can be gripped by one hand; or if desired they can be used independently when two are carrying the gun.

When the stand or mount is secured in position on the gun, with the legs placed in their downward position at right angles to the gun, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the latter is then supported in its highest position or elevation. To lower or adjust the height or elevation of the gun, the clamping nuts are released by turning the handles, thus permitting of the legs being turned to any desired forward inclination, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which position they are again securely locked in the manner as previously described.

swivel pieces 7 and 8, mounted in the upper and lower yoke pieces 1 and 2, permit of a limited sidewise or lateral movement of the gun within the said yoke, and such are so arranged that when the gun is at the limit of its sidewise movement in relation to the mount or stand, as shown in Fig. 4, the legs 12 still assume a splayed position in relation to the gun, and thus firmly support or balance same. gun being forced beyond the limit of sidewise movement as aforestated, the one leg is caused to swin around the other, which latter forms a pivot center, and the balance of the gun is still retained with but little or no liability to upset same. F urther, by reason of the pivot centers 11 of the legs 12 being disposed above the center line of the gun, therefore the center of grav- In the event of the 7 ity of the latter is below the point of suspension, which produces greater stability, and tends to obviate the possibility of the gun being inadvertently upset.

WVithin the swivel clamping pieces 7 and 8, the gun is capable of a turning or. twisting movement about its axis, to enable the sights to be brought into a vertical position when the stand is placed on unlevel ground, and I may employ a friction pad orclamping device to lock the gun in position after it has been adjusted in the said swivel pieces, which in one form, as seen in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, may comprise a clamping screw 19 mounted in the pivot peg or stem of the lower swivel band 8, its head 20 being adapted to impinge against the underside of the cylinder 3 of the gun, and to its outer end is fixed a winged nut 21, or other suitable device to facilitate the turning of the said clamping screw. The winged nut 21 is fixed to a clamping screw 19 by means of a cross pin 22, after the said clamping screw has been screwed downward into position in the pivot peg or stem of the swivel band 8, whereby the said clamping screw is retained in its assembled or operative position. Such may also be employed to retain the lower swivel band 8' in the lower yoke piece 2.

In order that the yoke may be clamped on to the front mounting band of a Lewis machine gun, which said mounting band 10 is located in line with the fore-sight 24, as-

seen in Fig. 4, the pivot center 25 of the upper swivel clamping band 7 is of enlarged cupflshape formation and is provided with a circumferential slot 26, which embraces the fore-sight 24 and its base part,

and is adapted to permit of the aforesaid j J 28, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be readily understood that the which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is v r 1. A bipod stand for supporting part of weight of a machine gun, comprising two legs, a yoke in two parts hinged anddetachably fastened together to which the legs are clamped, clamping pieces embracing the gun barrel casing pivotally mounted within the yoke to permit of a limited swiveling movement, and means for locking the legs in various positions relative to the yoke.

2. A mount or stand for machine guns comprising an upper and a lower yoke piece jointedly and detachably connected together and arranged to surround the casing or other part of the gun, clamping bands swivelly mounted within the said yoke pieces and adapted to permit of a limited lateral and part circular movement of the gun, a pair of handles jointedly attached to the upper yoke piece, two upwardly inclined pegs on the upper yoke piece, and two legs or struts mounted with clamping means on the pivot pegs; the said legs or struts when turned downward for use assuming an outwardly inclined or splayed po- 7 sition, and when raised assuming a position parallel to and close alongside the casing of the gun.

3. A bipod stand for supporting part of weight of a machine gun, comprising two legs, a yoke in two parts hinged and detachably fastened together to which the legs are clamped, clamping pieces embracing the gun barrel casing pivotally mounted within the yoke to permit of a limited swiveling movement, and means for locking the legs in various positions relative to the yoke, wherein the pivot center of the upper swivel clamping band is of a cup-shape formation, and provided at the bottom thereof with a circumferential slot, arranged to embrace the foresight and permit of a turning or twisting movement of the gun, substantially as described.

name to this specification.

GEORGE NORMAN. 

